Q-Force Stingray and Shark

The packaging differences between 80s GI Joe and his overseas cousin, Action Man (or Action force) are striking. Ever since I first discovered the series in the pages of Tomart’s Actvion Figure Digest way back when, I’ve been fascinated with it. Thanks to the incredible work of the Blood for the Baron site, we’ve all the information we can handle for these toys and their ancillary product. I’ve talked it up before, but I can’t say it enough. Check it out–you’ll be there for hours. If you’ve seen all of the 80s GI Joe you need, dig deeper into the UK stuff.

The Q-Force Stingray and Shark feature imaginative designs that are fanciful without being too out-there. For me, I get a Star Wars mini-rig vibe, along with a bit of Adventure People. The water based Q-Force offerings bring to mind the Adventure Team era of fun and funky accessories.

I love the action force stuff! I’d love to see a nice treatment of the entire line in the traditional, more articulated 3 3/4 Joe style. I’m still looking for a good deal joecon did for Red Shadows in 2010.

I had this as a kid. It was alright I suppose. I had a thing for Diver toys back then….It doesn’t have much playability….you got the exact same figure as the blister carded Q FORCE AQUA TROOPER, and this hunk of plastic….ideally, you laid the figure on his stomach and raised his arms up and shoved him into the thing so he’s under the cowling….and thats about it. It did float if I recall….and theres a port hole underneath for him to look through for some odd reason, maybe it went underwater? Can’t recall from the comics it featured in….it also had 2 yellow torpedoes….its not worth being boxed, mine came as a blister carded variant….I don’t have it anymore, wrecked it all as a brat. I do own the Aqua Trooper amongst my innumerable A.F. Palitoy collection of figures and a few vehicles (sold loads of the repainted figures and vehicles off years back)…

Heres a link to some of the custom A.F. characters I’ve made over the years (I have tonnes!). Bob Brechin, of Palitoy who designed the range actually said that had I been a young man back in the 1980s he’d have definitely felt I would work for Palitoy ON the range….nice compliment that….